...a blog about the pottery happenings in my life. I'm a potter, living in Los Angeles, California.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

AMOCA- Pomona, CA. and Heidi Kreitchet

After Sonoma I thought to myself... What the hell am I going to do with all these pots I made?? How am I getting these awesome pots back to Montana? I don't have a car anymore. Should I ship it? Oh man.. I hope something happens. Something always happens.

I'm in Los Angeles. It's awesome here. I brought down everything left over from my show. I didn't really know what I'd do with it..

Until...

Last week I realized I have a friend not too far away working in Pomona at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA). Said friend is Heidi Kreitchet. I know, right!!! Heidi was at Utah State working on her Masters while I was getting my Bachelors.

Back in school we got along great and I haven't seen her since 2010. I emailed her and she said to come out...she is running a giant community studio attached to the Museum and said I could make some work. Then she asked if I had any finished pots with me. Do I ever!

Here's a few of the pots I made while I was there... when I was making them I realized I kept thinking of some pots by Bob Turner and Karen Karnes. I like this kind of form.... I wont see these until May of this year when Heidi comes out to Missoula for a visit and firing. When I get to Missoula I hope to do a series of these for the wood kiln and the soda kiln.

When I got the tour from Heidi she showed me this huge pile of clay and said.. Here you go! Go nuts! That's your cart over there..the one that has a sign on it saying.. "Bobby Free Visiting Artist and Master Potter". She laughed a lot about that one. I was a little embarrassed about it. I met a lot of nice folks around the studio. I've been invited back whenever I can make it to give a slide talk and make more work. I'll definitely make that happen this coming year.

Heidi loved my finished pots and said I could sell it in the community studio gallery. Yes! Then the gallery director of the museum's store saw my work and said.. "I must have it in the store! I want 15 of the best pieces.. I'll run out and get you a contract". YES! I think the technical term for this is a "double whammy".

So.. I hand delivered about 50 pots, large and small. I hope they all eventually find a good home.

Isn't she funny? She tried to instal my plates without the template... Nice try, Heidi. Haha...

4 comments:

Bobby: More lessons from your ole buddy. Don't refer to your work as crap that you dump off. It makes the work sound crappy and not of any value. I know you are being cavalier but your work is well made and people should be made aware that it is precious not crap. good to see you with the landlady. Fond memories around the kitchen table.ciao, t

point taken and words edited. it's weird right? I can spend so much time working on them.. then fire..finish.. show.. but once they sit for some time I really start to look past them...and I begin to get excited for what's coming next. out with the old, on with the new. you're so right though. maybe what I need is an agent. probably not a lot of money out there for ceramic agents, huh? well.. maybe there could be. hmm...

agree with bobby. You will be continuously getting better and when you see the work you did previously, thinking "oh man I was so bad back then" BUT it's important to 1) value the time and effort that went into it and 2) don't slander it in front of others. People who don't know pottery will be confused if you try to convince them to "un-like" your pottery. Plus it's bad for your self-esteem!